Ice-forming apparatus.



J. H. POOLE;

CE FORMING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAR-13.19%.

1 1 76,3 1 Q. Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

avwanboz JOHN H. POOLE, F JAMAICA, NEW YORK.

" IcE-roamme APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed March 18, 1915. Serial No. 14,211.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JoHN H. POOLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Jamaica, in the county of Queens and State h of New York,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice-FormingApparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

This invention comprehends certain new and useful improvements inapparatus for use in the artificial production of ice, and relatesparticularly to the manufacture of raw water, can ice.

To those familiar with the art to which this invention appertains, itiswell known that the water in the freezing tank is agitated by means ofair passing through a system of piping and issuing from tubes or thelike that extend down into the tank and I the water contained therein.In the practice heretofore employed, a plurality of distributing pipesare used, the number and arrangement depending manifestly upon thenumber of tanks and the arrangement of the latter, any desired number.of laterals or branch pipes being connected to the distributing pipesand extending down into the tanks. Usually these branch pipes have beenmade substantially in the form of yokes detachably connected to thedistributing pipes at points where check-valves are provided, the branchpipes having metallic sections or extension members projecting down intothe water. At a predetermined point in the congealing of the water ithas been customary to withdraw these bran'chpipes and their extensions,but from actual experience I have found that difliculties have beenoften encountered, owing to the fact. that the water had congealed tosuch a point that when the operators attempted to withdraw from thetanks the downwardly projecting metallic pipe sections, the jointsbetween the same and the main branch pipes or laterals have becomedetached, whereupon there have been left, within the blocks of ice,relatively long sections of pipes' that have thus become irreparablylost. This one instance alone has been found to be a very materialfactor in increasing the cost of the output, while at the same time theconstruction of these distributing pipes with their check valves mountedtherein as well as the construction and arrangement of'the other partsof the system above thus generally outlined, have tended to make thecost of maintenance and installation relatively high.

With a knowledge of these conditions my invention has for its primaryobject a simple, durable and efficient construction of parts, andarrangements thereof, whereby, in the first place, the cost of theoutput is materially reduced, owing to the fact that the branch pipesused to convey the air from the distributing pipes down into the tanksare provided with extension members formed of some frangible substanceor material not detrimental to the ice and capable of being very cheaplymade, so that the manufacturer can afford to leave these extensionmembers or tubes in the ice by merely cutting them or breaking them offat a short distance above the upper surface of the ice block.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby the costof installa- Patented Mar. 21, 1916.

tion and maintenance is reduced, owing to v the fact that withmy'invention, the check valves above referred to are dispensed with, aswill be hereinafter more fully described. And the invention also aims togenerally improve devices of this character so as to render them moreuseful and commercially desirable.

With theseand other objects in view, as will more fully appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention consists in certain constructions,arrangements and combinations of the parts that I shall hereinafter morefully describe and claim.

For a full understanding of the invention, reference is to be had to thefollowing description and accompanying drawing, in

Figure 1 is a perspective view, in the nature of a diagram, illustratingthe application of my invention, the branch pipe 3 being somewhatenlarged; Fig. 2 is a detail view illustrating two of the branch'pipesin side elevation over portions of the tanks; 'Fig. 3 embodies twosectional views of one of the tanks, showing the different stages in thefreezing of the ice; Fig. 4: is an enlarged sectional side elevation ofone of the branch pipes and its downwardly projecting extension member,and Fig. 5 is a detail view showing the air-tight closure, which, whenopened,will permit the insertion of the frangible extension member.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the following descrition and desigfnated in all of the views 0 the'accompanythere being onepair for every two tanks,-

said nipples terminating in vertical planes wardly turned short of theadjoining side walls of the tanks, whereby. the latter may be readilyremoved whenever desired.

My improved branch pipes 3 are arranged for detachable connection to thenipples 4 of the distributing pipes 2, and in order to provide for theexpeditious attachment and detachment of the branch pipes, they are inthe present instance shown as provided at one end with clamping arms 5,arranged in diametrically opposite relation to each other and pivotedintermediate of their ends to form handle portions 6, said clamping armsbeing spring pressed in closed position and their extremities beingadapted to extend around and engage annular collars 7 formed on theextremities ofthe nipples 4. Preferably the branch pipes 3 carry washers8 adapted to fit upon hollow bosses 9 and to abut against the outerfaces of the nipples 4 when the pipes 3 are secured in their operativepositions, whereby a tight joint will be produced.

Operatively connected to the branch pipes 3 are extension members 10 inthe form of pipes or tubes, these in the present embodiment of theinventive idea, being preferably detachably connected to the downwardlyprojecting outer ends 3 of the pipes 3, the lower extremities 3" ofthese downends, being preferably tapered, as best illustrated in Fig. 4.The

extension members 10 are formed with flared or bell-shaped upper ends 11adapted to fitwithin the lower extremities 3" just mentioned, wherebythe pipes 3 and their extension members 10 will be operatively connectedtogether in a readily detachable manner.

In order to provide for the ready connec-* tion of the parts 3 and 10,openings are formed in the former at the juncture of the main bodyportions thereof with the downwardly turned ends, and spring-pressedclosures 12 normally cover said openings in anair-tight manner, wherebyit is only necessary to move the closures to an open position and insertthe extension member 10 .ing'- apparatus? will be apparent.

. down through the openings when they will come to rest with the partsin their operative relatio lustrated best in Fig. 4. a

F-ron'i' iifth regoing description in connection a h the accompanyingdrawing, the operation of my improved ice manufactur- In thepracticalusei iof the device, after, the tanks have been disposed intheir proper positions, the branch pipes 3 and their extension members10 are operatively placed, and whenever it is necessary to remove thepipes 3, all the operator has to do is to press together v the handleportions of the clamping arms 5 from the collars 7 of the to release thenipples 4. T t he branch pipes 3 (or, if desired, even. efore they ajetached from the nipples 4,) can be iea iy separated from theirextension members 10, the latter" being left in the ice blocks, for'saidextension members are, as hereinbefore specified, composed of anysuitable easily frangible non-metallic substance or material that can becheaply made and not be detrimental to the quality of the ice. Usually,only about three of the tanks are removed at the same time, andconsequently the ni ples thus opened may be permitted'toizffjblow, forthe amount of air thus wasted ispractically negligible. Hence, nocheckvalves are required, and this in itself tends to reduce the cost ofinstallation and maintenance.

It will thus be seen that I have provided a very simple and eificientconstruction and arrangement of parts whereby the tubes or pipeextensions that extend down into the tanks or blocks of ice formedtherein, may

be left within the ice, as the cost thereof isvery small and that myinvention not only results in material economies in the cost of trateswhat I believe to be the preferred em-' bodiment of my invention, it isto be under stood. that the invention is not limited thereto but thatvarious changes may be made in the construction, arrangements andproportions of the parts without departing from the scope of theinvention as definedin the appended claims.

- What is claimed, is:

1. In an ice forming apparatus of the character described, an airdlstributing pipe and a branch therefor, the branch being provided witha downwardlyprojecting end having. a tapered lower extremity, and afrangible extension member having a flared upper end adapted to fitwithin said extremity, for the purpose specified.

2. In an ice forming a' paratus of the character described, an airistributing pipe, a branch therefor having a downwardly adapted todetachably connect the branch pipe to said nipple, said branch pipebeing formed with a downwardly extendlng end, and a frangible extensionmember connected to said end, as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

JOHN H. POOLE.

Witnesses:

M. E. JONES, FREDERICK S. S'rrr'r.

